To a friend
by cantate
Summary: After the giant's attack Elmont finds himself in need of a friend.


**Hello everyone... happy 2014!**

**To start this new year.. I've written this little story in honor of the birthday of the great serendipityaey... This is my way of saying thank you to a friend! so thank you girl!**

**A new story is bubbling in my head. But in the mean time.. I hope you enjoy this.**

**To a friend...**

It was over now. The princess was saved but the castle was destroyed and his best friend was gone... but..it was over now.  
Elmont let the icy water from the well cool his wrists. He cupped his hands to fill it with the crystal liquid so he could drink to still his thirst. But even if the fresh water smoothened his dry throat, his heart felt as dry as a dessert as he looked around to see the destruction all around him.

It had only been a week ago that the Giants had made their final attack on Cloister. In the following days the knights had been busy clearing away the debris. Many villagers had helped them. In all that darkness, it had felt good to Elmont to see the people voluntarily work alongside the guards. They shared stories about the people they lost, as well as a piece of bread and sips of ale. This strong communal feeling had made his heartache a little better, but now that the rubble was cleared the ruin was all the more visible.

Elmont knew this feeling. It had happened before. A strong sense of depression after the loss of many men in battle. He could always rely on the comforting words of his best friend Crawe, to uplift his moods. But he couldn't anymore…not today, nor ever again. For his friend was gone.

Elmont glanced up at the only remaining tower of the castle. Maybe he could talk to Isabelle. He had always valued her opinion. She had been a young and kind girl carefree, but with a good sense of heart. And she was smart. His life as her personal guardian was made easier because he liked the woman she had become. A likeness that had grown into a strong friendship after what they had been through together in the land in the clouds.

Perhaps Isabelle would know what to say to scare the heavy dark clouds in his head?

But Isabelle had found love. With Jack, always by her side, she had found someone to talk to and be comforted by. Elmont liked Jack, surely. And he was happy for Isabelle to be able to marry a boy she cared for instead of that serpent Roderick. But he could not help wishing he had the same. Now, more than ever, he wished he had someone that loved him. A home to stay and gentle arms to hold him.

But Elmont was alone.

He splashed some of the cool water in his face. Rubbing his eyes, as if he could wash away the nightmare he was facing. But when he opened his eyes the scenery around him hadn't changed. Broken windows and crumbled walls remained in his view. Everything was the same, except for the movement in the corner of his eye.

In the distance he could see someone walking towards him. Looking against the sun, Elmont could only make out a shadow at first but as the figure got closer more and more details became visible. Judging from the calm swaying movements it was a woman. She carried her bucket along to the well where he was sitting. Humming a melancholy tune to herself she started to pull at the lever as he had done mere moments before.

It seemed like she had not noticed him sitting there, which gave Elmont the time to observe her closely.

Elmont could not recall seeing her before in Cloister. He would have surely remembered her if he had for she was beautiful! Dressed in a simple dark blue dress, with a white shawl that covered her shoulders. Her long blond hair, seemed almost red in the reflection of the sun. She was young, younger then he was, but old enough to probably be married, maybe even have a family of her own. In his mind he could picture her at a cottage somewhere; a little girl clutching her skirts. A thought that left him jealous at someone he didn't know and might not even exist.

Filled with water, the bucket was heavy to pull up again and Elmont could see the girl struggling. Gallantly he stood up and offered her his help.

She startled and let go of the lever in her hands. Not having seen him sitting at the well before, to her, it must have seemed like he appeared out of nowhere. Luckily his reflexes were fast, and he grabbed the lever in time before the bucket had a chance to plunge all the way down again.

"Excuse me, Milady, I did not mean to frighten you." He smiled apologetically at her. She looked at him, a flash of the purest blue met his eyes, for a brief second. She recognized him and kneeled before his feeT as if he were royalty himself. "Lord Elmont, forgive me. I did not see you".

"Please, please.. there is no need for that" he replied, never feeling comfortable with this protocol. He was a nobleman, surely. But he never felt like a title was enough to be put above anyone else.

She stood up, and looked at him again. "Was I not right to do this?" she asked him; looking insecure as she fidgeted with the fabric of her dress.

Elmont smiled, suddenly understanding her discomfort. "You are not from Cloister, are you?" He stated more than he asked her.

The girl shook her head. "I am not, sir. I come from Osind, in the west lands. I came here to visit my sister right before..." she did not finish her sentence, but looked up to the place were the main tower had been before the last beanstalk had sprouted from inside the castle crumbling the tower in its way.

Elmont followed her gaze. The look of the destruction made his heart sink again.

He had not realized how the woman before him had distracted him from his depression for a few seconds. But the scenery around him was a constant reminder of the giants attack: a reminder of his failure.

As if she could sense his mood, she spoke to him again in a calming way. No longer nervous around him, she spoke the words he did not want to hear: "I may not be from around here, but I know who you are lord Elmont. You led the guards to fight off the giants. You saved us."

He looked away from her gleaming eyes and frowned before he whispered "I did no such thing".

Her touch took him by surprise. He felt like an electric shock passed through him as she gently pushed his face sideways. Her fingers stroked his hairline, just above a small cut he gained when he was forced to jump off the beanstalk when it came down. Then she let him go again and rolled up her own sleeve. A long cut ran from her wrist to her elbow. The dried crust of blood revealed it was it could not be older than a few days.

"Yes you did! " she explained, "I know it ,because I was there too. I hid behind this very well during the Giants attack. My arm got cut when a tree was thrown and hit just inches from my hiding place." For a second her eyes turned dark too, with the memory of that horrid day. "I thought we would all die that moment. When I realized the giants were real, I thought we would not stand a chance. I hid behind the well and simply waited for a tree to fall on my head. ... or worse.! But I remember your voice, calling on the men fighting back. You did not gave up. You fought them off. You're a hero!"

It pained Elmont to hear her say that. All he could remember was acting the way his job required. Pushing away the thoughts of fighting a fight he could never win.

"I wish you didn't call me that. I do not deserve such credit, Milady. I'm not worth it"

"Now, why would you say that?" she asked him.

He did not fail to hear the kindness of her tone. He looked at her. This beautiful girl in front of him, trying to lift his spirits with the greatest effort. Maybe, if they had met somewhere else, in another situation he would have asked her to dine with him. He might have even tried to woo her with flowers and presents. Maybe he would have had a chance of falling in love. But not now. He knew that if she would understand the gravity of his failure she would turn her back on him. And no one else would ever love him.

He sighed. "If you were there, milady, you saw who saved us. It was Jack who returned with the crown. _He_ slayed the giant to pull it from his fingers. Not me."

"You both saved us. You fought them off, long enough for Jack to be able to get the crown and turn them away!"

She was sweet. Part of him wanted to believe her. He wanted to feel better, wanted to feel appreciated. But she did not know the whole story.

"What story?" she asked him, making Elmont realize he must have said his thoughts out loud.

He didn't want to tell her. He wanted her to stay with him, wanted to see how she would look if she smiled and feel the caress of her soft fingers on his face again. He wanted a chance to get to know her. And so he said nothing.

What followed was a long awkward silence.

Elmont was used to never having to explain himself. Because of his high rank and bloodline people simply did whatever he asked or demanded them to. However the woman in front of him seemed little impressed. She simply sat down on the edge of the well. Waiting for him to speak up. Though it must be clear he did not want to say anything anymore.

He folded his arms; a posture that should give him more power. To his surprise the woman in front of him did not seem to give up. Her blue eyes looked at him questioning.

And when he still said nothing she spoke:

"I don't know what it is that troubles you so much. So much you can't even see all the good things that you have done anymore. I understand if you don't wish to talk about it. But keeping it to yourself brings you pain.I can see that it does. Maybe if you share it with someone it might make you feel better? "

"Even if it will change the way you will look upon me? I am not the hero that you call me. If I tell you, you might even think of me a bad person".

She smiled. "Lord Elmont, King Brahmwell might rule these lands, but it is still for me to decide how I judge the people I meet.

If it were any other, he would have found her insolent. Even disrespectful to talk back to the captain of the guards. But she was different. He knew she was trying to make him feel better and he could only appreciate her efforts.

"And besides..."she continued "no matter how I would feel about you. It could never be worse that how you think of yourself right now_. _

Elmont sighed. He knew she was right. His nightmares were getting worse. Even during the day he could no longer shake the images of what had happened. Had he not just wished for someone to talk to? To ease his mind? And now she was here. A friendly girl he had only just met, but seemed to understand him so well.

And so he sat down beside her, and began to talk. A little uneasy at first. Staying with the facts. Telling how Isabelle was lost. How he climbed up the stalk to get her back and how he lost the first men when the line snapped. Only now he realized it was no accident. It must have been Roderick! And with that his emotions flowed.

The girl said nothing, but gave him comforting looks as he told her all. His voice cracked, when he shared the moment of death of his best friend and companion. And it raised in anger as he shared the details of Roderick sending the princess and himself to their deaths in the kitchen.

But it wasn't until he told her about his fight with Roderick, that he broke. He clenched his fists when he spoke of the moment he was close to falling down, but how he crawled back up and managed to kill him.

He could feel a tear rolling down as he recalled that moment when a giant hand reached for the crown, before him.

"That is when I failed you all", he said. Looking down at his feet "I was too late!"

Her hands covered his. "You tried".. she whispered.

"I tried and failed! Don't you see? If I had been able to get the crown I could have prevented the giants from getting down . All those people that needn't have lost their lives. I was sent out to protect Cloister, and I failed! I am not the hero you want me to be. I am a disappointment!

"Well that is utter nonsense!" she replied baldly raising her voice to him.

He was silent for a mere second. But then he laughed. Elmont simply could not help to laugh at her sudden outburst. He loved the way she simply spoke her mind. Honest and unfiltered by any protocol. He knew she meant what she said and it warmed his heart. Unlike anyone he'd ever met before.

"Is this the same girl that kneeled before me, that dares speak to a nobleman in such a matter?" he asked; his tone of voice light and playful. The woman folded her arms and gave him a cheeky look "Well, that is utter nonsense, milord!"

Elmont felt a gulf of gratefulness flowing through him. She was still there and that she had not turned her back on him as he'd expected she would do. She even smiled at him. The warmest and most beautiful smile he had ever seen. That simple curve of her lips stirred something deep inside.

"I lost the crown to the giants when I had the chance to retrieve it... and yet you do not think I am a complete failure?"

"No, sir I do not!" Her voice was firm but compassionate.

He smiled at her. "And why not? If I may ask you, milady..". Not that he really needed to know her answer anymore. It was obvious she did not think badly of him. And that alone pleased him more than he could ever imagine.

She looked at him straight. A pure and honest look. Elmont knew on instinct she should never lie. She would tell him truthfully how she felt.

"Well...,, "she started,.. Weighing her words as if she wasn't certain he would like to hear them, "to me, failure is when you decide upon doing the wrong thing. "

He frowned. Not really understanding what she just said.

"You're intentions were good, sir Elmont. Even if the outcome wasn't the way you wished it to be. You did not want the crown for your own power. You wanted the crown to save us all. Your heart is in the right place. Someone with a good heart could never be a failure!"

She intrigued him. He failed to do his job. The mission was to bring Isabelle home safe. And he didn't. Jack brought her home... and even more so he failed to keep the giants away from Cloister. He did not keep her safe. Not anyone. But she did not seem to think it had all been in vain. She seemed to be able to look right into his heart, making him feel exposed. And yet it was comforting to know he did not have to hide it from her.

He looked into her eyes and smiled. "I've only just met you. Why does it feel like you know me? "

She shrugged. "All I know, sir Elmont, is that we all need a friend sometimes."

He was impressed with her good heartedness to someone she had only just met. But to her it seemed like a natural thing to do. Not taking any pride in her gift of kindness.

He took her hand and squeezed it lightly. "Well I thank you, milady, for being my friend today".

She returned his smile, placing her other hand on top of his, as to keep it there.

"You are welcome, sir Elmont… anytime".

* * *

Elmont looked out over the courtyard. The sun shone brightly that day, casting the silhouette of the tower as a shadow on the ground.

It had taken years to restore Cloister to its former glory. But now the courtyard looked the same as it did before. Only the statue of the King had been replaced. It now showed a statue of the new King and Queen, Isabelle dressed in her golden armor and Jack holding the crown to remember their moment of victory.

He could hear her walking up behind him. The calm deliberate pace he knew so well. She wrapped her arms around his waist.

"A copper for your thoughts".. she whispered in his ear.

"hmmm".. he murmured "I was just reminiscing that day when a young girl managed to chase away the dark clouds in my head with a single smile".

The woman laughed: "With just a smile?..Well then, she must have been quite special!"

He turned round to look see her bright blue eyes. He stroked her hair. Still as golden as it had been that day, with a touch of red in the bright sunlight. His fingers caressed her neck before he pulled her close and pressed his lips to hers.

And after a long loving kiss he replied.

"She is! "


End file.
